I am a Muslim, and I believe in Quran. I have read your answers to the questions about beating wife.
1) My first confusion is that what is one going to achieve by beating when the Nashuz has not been remied by first two steps?
2) Beating is a manifest of absolute power/authority on someone. How can a religion claim equal rights of women while having A RIGHT (even under specific conditions) to beat wife?
3) To blame the western culture to justify Muslim ideology is primarily a wrong premise. It a practical world (and it will remain so) therefore justify your point of view in an idael condition which you claim it will bring. Does beating create a harmonious relationship between husband and wife, when already nushuz has occurred? Isn’t it simplistic/illogical?
Answer
Islam claims the two to be equal in the eyes of God. However, administratively people can hold different positions which doesn’t make any one inferior to the other.
What has been suggested in Nisa is a recommendation and not a binding requirement. An advantage of that suggestion is that husbands as a consequence are not allowed to beat their wives unless they have gone through the first two steps.
The Western culture is mentioned in my answer to compare the so-called equality there with Islam’s ideals. despite the highly orchestrated equality, wife-bashing is still there.
If you make someone a boss, he has to get a few rights over the subordinates. Not all rights are always exercised. Some are never used in most cases. However, suggesting that a family is an exceptional administrative unit which must not have a boss is something which makes little sense. That unique idea is what the West tries to plead, but fails in implementing it. Of course, Islam’s ideals have also in many cases been seldom implemented by its followers.